Electron discharge device



P 1934- J. L. WORDEEI 1,972,414

ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Oct. 29. 1951 /////////I//////////////////////// 'll/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'III emoa Y 055 L.WOEDEU HTTO EUEY Patented Sept. 4, 1934 iv;

UNITED STATES ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEvIoE j y Jesse L. Worden, Chicago, Ill., assignortojGen- .1 a eralElectricX-Ray Corporation, Chicago',-Ill.,.a 1

corporation of New :York a r '1 Application Qctober 29,1931, Serial No. 571, 0 1 I a 11 Claims.

The present invention relates to thermonic devices and as illustrated has to do with anX-ray tube having a water cooled anode. Heretofore such tubes, whenthe anode has been cooled by water, -have'been subjected;.at (times to an irregular bumping 1 GfiGCbaT ThiS bumping is believed to be due to the generation ofsteam at the back of the hollow head of the anode. ;;..The water which is in direct contact with the internal wall of the copper anode head is converted into steam forming a'small pocket. The formation of this pocketpermits no water .to come into contact with the adjacent anode'wall for a short interval of time. During such short interval of time, however, that portion of the anode head not in contact with water becomes highly heated and to the extent that when finally water does come in contact with the anode wall w it is converted into steam at the rate amounting to -that of a miniature explosion. The; explosive iorce of the steam so generated pushes water out of the anode head at arhigh velocity, "reacting with an equal and opposite force to the head of ter chamber of the anode to disperse the force oi any generation of steam in theanode and to impede violent movement of liquid therein, and to 'concurre'ntly guide the flow of cooling water so as not to lessen the volume of'such flow to'the head of the anode." Where anode is used hereinbefore, any cooled electrode or other part isintended to be included. I Q Other objects of the invention as appear hereafter reside in the novel construction unique combination, and improved arrangement ofthe elements set forth in the following description.

{With reference to the accompanying drawing hereby made a part of this description and where one form of the invention is illustrated, and in which like referencecharacters refer to the same parts: I

Figure 1 isra plan, view of one form of xeray tube with a schematic diagram of its connec- 5o tions;

; 5a Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of: another form oi baflle the anode. H i

Referring now to Figure s -1,'2 -and ;3, it-will be noted that the anode 1 is supplied with cooling water or :other'cooling -me diawhichflows from a reservoir 2 intoa, cavity 3 in anode head 4. Securedtoahd atthe -back end oi. hollow anode 1 ;is a collar 5 having, threads 6,

plate which may be usedwithin l .A twisted metal rod Tsupports at metal bafile 8 which approximate. the shapei of a third circle. Cs These are mounted' upon rodfl in the iollowing manner. Each baflie 8 has an extension :9 through which ,--there an'iaperture. 10. The; aperture l0v is, of the same'cojn'tour as the peripheryfof rod 7 at the point or attach ent, ."Asillustratedin if; ,Figure 2, tbaflie s 8 'lie in planes normal to'sthe' 'axis .of. the anode and' are spaced" upontw'isted metal'r'od 7 atintervals and to 'eff ectbyastag gered arrangement .a progressive'rotative dis'-. tribution about rsaid rod '1 at angles of one hundrIedand t enty. degrees. f "In other'words, every third baiile S radiatesi from the'rod '7 in thesaine Qradialdirectioni w a Centrally located ih arround 'metalclosu're plate 80 11 for anode rl a; hub. 12, having a rectangular aperture '13 of a cross section suitabletc tightly secure the end l4 of,rod 7. f s l. Plate 11 rests against collar 5 for bearing surface to, support. rod '7 and; the 1 attached baflies '8 in the cavity 3 of anode 1.f f Nipple 15 of reservoir 2 may have an'integ'ral flange, 16 dispo'sedto abut, flatly} against platel-l when drawn and held thereto byfa'oap 17 which .,ha's thr'eadslE thereonv to engage with threads 7 6 or collar 5.; Intermediate the reservoir and hola3" low anode chamber there is thus. provided a we.- i ter tight joint suitable to maintain av plurality of bafiies and supp'orting rod within said hollow anodes I [Eigure 4 illustrates another form which'flthe 18 bailie may take. 1Bafiieaction isobt'ained by m'eans oif a coarse screw like arrangementsimilar in shape to a screw conveyor 'havingvery deep thread depthi 8a, as compared with the root di- 'ameter 37a. This, baffle. unit'fmay; be made .in.

desired fashion, 1 preferably, by either sand, or, die casting. The methodo f use ahditsattachmfent -to'the tube is similar to thatdescribedbefore except that it is preferred that the bajlie' be'attached to the] plate'lla by means of ais'crewrt 1 13a which passes through hole a and engages a threaded hole in the end 14a .of the baflie. 1

The baflies 8 and 8d by the arrangement shown resist an extended longitudinal movement of the cooling water' in the chamber 3 irieithertlirec-t cha-mber toreceive a cooling medium, a reservoir communicating-with said chamber, and battle tion. An explosive generation of steam at face 19 of head 4 will exert a longitudinal force in the hollow chamber of the anode. The water forced back by such explosive force will be divided at the first'bafiie 8 or 8a and a part of the explosive force there absorbed. At the second baiiie 8 or 8a, there will be a further division, and at the third a still iurther division. Thus the force of theexplosion will be distributed in fractional parts and at spaced time intervals instead of in a single blow carrying the full force of the initial explosion. The explosive force will thus be nullified and made negligible. The. explosive disturbing consequence.

When there are no battles in the chamber 3,

an explosion at face 19 results" in' a movement of the cooling material in the anode inonedirece tion and a prompt recoil in the opposite direction *with a resulting objectionable jarring or bumping of the tube, all of which is obviated by the structure'herein described.

I' claim? 1. In a vacuum tube, an electrode having a means extendinglongitudinally of said chamber and displacing such medium from a relatively large central portion of said chamber, the medium being vaporized at oneend of said chamher by the heat of said electrode and being im- "pulsively urged'toward said reservoir,v the baffle means directing the urged m edium'over a tortutudinally of said chamber asit' moves therein, the medium being intermittently and explosively vaporized at one end of said'chamber by the heat of the electrode whereby said medium is impulsively urged toward said; reservoir, said' bafl'le means occupying acentral position in said chamber for dispersing the flow of the impulsively urged medium and directing it along the walls of said chamber. 7

3. In a vacuum .tube, an electrode having a hollow chamber for a cooling medium, a reservoir' for the cooling liquid charging said chamber, and means disposed within and centrally' Imedium along the interior walls thereof and precluding the flow of such medium longitudinally and centrally of said chamber.

. 4. In an electrode having a hollow chamber receiving a circulatory cooling medium, a baflle member extending'f longitudinally of said cham- 'berand ofslightly smaller transverse dimensions than said chamber, said .baflie member being of said chamber for directing the flow of the the now of such medium longitudinally of said chamber except ata transverse section substantially alon such walls.

5,f'In an electrode comprising a body having a V hollow chamber to receive a'cooling medium for movement longitudinally thereof, a helical .bafiie member extending centrally and longitudinally of said chamber to impede the movement of such .medium liquid throughthe greater portion: of

projection-in the-.normal path of the opposed vapor and cooling:.medium movements for arelectrode. 2i

8. Ina? vacuum tube, an electrode with mend electr dein a-straiehtzlinec" disposed centrally 1' said. ch mber and havin such COQImglm'eIdmm portions extending radially thereof for'impeding toward the htdph-dsdf i h b va ri d. await if .n w 0 ail rarer ai 'jcna hs' fl he'ins iq e gravitational flowof the" cooling med u 1 another axially of' 'said electrod and extending i transversely from ja- 1 central position .chamber for directing globules as such 1 formed incident I to] the heating bf sai .andthe? coolin medium 'enclosm -su'cn 'glebhles use said chamber being opposed to the gravitational flow ofthecooling medium, and a baifieaxially disposedin'said chamber and havinga radial resting direct-substantially linear movement longitudinally of said electrode of globules of the vapor and anv'eooiin medium enclosing said lobules or moved therewith.

7. In a vacuum tube, an electrode with an end "subiected to heat and' havir'1gf 'a chambei fc'r a cooling -mediu'm, -s'a'id chamber 1 extending"- inwardly of said'electroddto adjacenflsuchheated end, a cooling medium, a reservoir rcr sucmeeming" medium at the other-fend cit-"said 'el'ectrode, gravity causing-thecoolingimediuni to I 1 ward the heated end of s'aid electrode to-Ttheie be vaporized, the' path of flow of such vapor in globules of 'such vapor-andtcooling"medium 'sui'- rounding such 1 Iglobulesf l'ong'itudinall subjected to'heatand having ach'ambenitowa cooling medium,'.- said chamber extendin'g iz inwardly. oi saidelectrodeito adjacent such heated 1 end, a- .cooling .medium, a .:reservoir'-fos :such

cooling mediumxzit the otherend ofisaidlelecopposed 'to 1 the gravitational: flow :of? the Enabling 7 medium; and 1a,. continuous helical -wall 'iaixiahy and centrally atraversingz the: chamberein ;.said electrode and .1 providing :a tortuousipassageway substantially coqextensive- .with saidzelectroderfior retarding the movement ot theiglobulfi Qfirsuch vapor and; the :cooling 'medium ienclosingezsnch globules andset in motion;1- .thereby,--=thes:longltudinal spacing between,- adiaeent-,-,;sections of (said wall being relatively slight'ito; prevent direct linear movement of such N390): -lvbules and enclosing cooling medium-longitud' ally 9. In a vacuum; tuba-1a electrode withizan end ub cted to... eattama havi g-a .chamb for I coo sa d; cham er. ext ndin n a d 0 e tm e heatedv end,';a coo mg medium,

e ectr d ravity cause he .fi ll bi a baflle member having parts spaced from enema intervals on said rod and extending transversely of said chamber.

11. In an X-ray tube, an anode comprising a body having a chamber, and segmental baflle plates in said chamber, said plates being radial of said chamber and in spaced relation axially thereof.

', JESSE L. WORDEN. 

